Basket cart



April 4, 1950 D. MCK|BBEN 2,502,579

BASKET CART' Filed Aug. 24. 194s IN VEN TOR. D ENVER L. Mg Kl BEEN 2 vMy invention relates eral utility, and more specifically to a'cart for aA'laundry basket. ,normally filled with wet wash andl manually PatentedApr. 4, 1956 UNITED STTIIHS:1

OFFICE 1 Claim.

The usual laundry. basket is transported to the region of the clothesline, at which point it is placed on the ground while the contentsthereof are hung on the clothes line to dry. This necessitates constantstooping on the part of the laundress, and also necessitates the basketbeing continually hauled or lifted and carried to successive pointsalong the clothes line until all of the clothes are hung.

With the foregoing in view, it is an object of my invention to providean improved basket cart of the class described.

A further object is to provide an improved basket cart which is adaptedto support a basket or a like container at a substantial height abovethe ground.

A further object is to provide an improved cart of the class describedwhich is of rigid construction, relatively light weight yet which isstrong and sturdy in use and capable of being constructed of low-costmaterials.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structure of theinvention, combination and arrangement of the several parts thereof, andwill be readily understood by those skilled in the art upon reference tothe attached drawing in connection with the following specification,wherein the invention is shown, described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the cart according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan View thereof;

Figure 3 is a front View looking from the right of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a modied form ofstructure, parts being broken away and shown in longitudinal verticalsection. A

Referring specifically to the drawing, wherein like reference charactershave been used throughout the several views to designate like parts, andreferring at first to the form of invention of Figures l to 3,inclusive, II) designates a single frame member which is preferably oftubular construction and which is relatively short in length. Theforward end of the frame member I is rigidly secured in any suitablemanner, as by being welded, to an intermediate portion of ahorizontally-disposed axle II. The axle I I has journaled on the endsthereof any suitable wheels I2. The rear end of the frame member I0 isto basket carts of gen- `upwardly directed` to 2 v provide a relativelylong, upwardly-directed frame portion I3, the upper I end of which isrearwardly directed to provide an elongated handle I4. Any suitable handgrip I5 may be detachably secured to the free end of the handle I4.

A horizontal loop I6 is rigidly secured to the upwardly-directed frameportion I3 in the region of the upper end thereof. The loop I6 extendshorizontally forwardly over the axle II. In the embodiment shown, theloop I6 is circular, whereby it is adapted to receive the substantiallycylindrical basket I'I therein. However, it is to be understood that theloop I6 may be of other shapes so as to be substantially complementaryto the profile of any basket with which the device is adapted to beused. The loop I6 is supported at its forward ends by any suitablelaterallyspaced struts I8 which are rigidly secured thereto in anysuitable manner. The lower ends of the struts I 8 are rigidly secured tothe axle I I inwardly of the wheels I2. A substantially T- shaped floormember connects the struts I8 and the upwardly-directed frame portion I3in adjacent doWnwardly-spaced relation to the loop I 5. Such oor memberincludes a leg I9 extending forwardly from the upwardly-directed frameportion I3 and a runner 20 connecting the struts I8 adjacent their upperends. If desired, additional braces for the frame may be provided in theform of the cross-braces 2| extending diagonally between the upper andlower ends of the struts I8.

The location of the floor member and loop I6 is such that the basket I'Iis supported with its center of gravity rearwardly of the axle II. Tomaintain the basket I1 substantially horizontal, I have provided a prop22 which extends downwardly from the frame member II) in the region ofthe upwardly-directed frame portion I3. The free end of the prop 22 maybe provided with a rubber foot 23 or the like.

In the modification of Figure 4, an upwardlydirected frame portion II3corresponding to the portion I3 of the rst-described form of inventionhas its upper end formed to provide a socket II5 adapted t0 receive acylindrical stem II'I. The stem Ill is rotatable in the socket II5, butmay be locked against rotation by means of a pin II8 which is insertablein alignable transverse holes formed in the socket and in the stem. Theloop II 6 is rigidly secured to the upper end of the frame portion II3and corresponds substantially to the loop I6 of the first-described formof invention. A horizontally-directed handle II4 is rigidly secured tothe stem H1 in any suitable manner. Except as so far described, it is tobe understood that this modied form of the invention is essentially thesame as the first-described form. The advantage of this modied structureis that the handle H4 is readily removable for storage or shipment.Likewise, with the pin I I8 removed, the handle H4 may be rotated 180 ina horizontal plane so as to extend forwardly of the cart 0r laterallythereof, to facilitate storage of the cart when the same is not in use.

While I have shown and described what is now thought to be a preferredembodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the sarde-issusceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, I do not limitmyselfV to the precise structure shown and described hereinabove exceptas hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

A basket cart comprising`Y a transverse axle, a rearwardly-extendingframe member fired ai; one end on the een'terfdfA saidaxle';an"upwaridly-ex tending'frame member onzthe otherv end of" said l'i'stframel'mem'ber perpendicular thereto', a Vharisaid upwardly `extendig'frame member below said ring.

. DENVER L. MCKIBBEN.

REFERENCES CITED The follwing references are of record in the file ofvthis'- patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

